Electric cut-out.



PAT ENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

0. WAGNER. ELECTRIC GUT- OUT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

W/ TNESSES: 5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WAGNER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD F.

- CALDWELL 8a COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,405, dated January 13, 1903.

Application filed J1111e25, 1902. Serial No. 113,165. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES WAGNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Cut-Out, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in electric cut-outs particularly adapted for use in connection with the wiring of electric lamps; and the object is to provide a cut-out of simple construction designed for connection with a lamp-supporting tube or standard through which the Wires pass and arranged to have a rotary movement in one direction to cut the current in or out.

1 I will describe an electric cut-out embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a cutout embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line xzrof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face View of a contact-supporting block employed, and Fig. 4 is a rear or bottom view of the contact-carrying block employed.

Referring to the drawings, the lamp-supporting tube or standard comprises two sections 1 2, removably secured together. Secured to the section 1 of the tube is a collar 3, which forms the top of a casing 4, the said casing being designed to rotate relatively to the collar. Therefore the casing is provided with an annular shoulder 5, against which the lower portion of the collar engages. The lower end of the casing is mounted to rotate on the section 2 of the tube, and to prevent a downward movement of the casing the said section 2 is provided with a shoulder 6, against which the lower end of the casing engages.

Rigidly attached to the tube Within the casing is a contact-carrying block 7, of insulating materialsuch,' for instance, as porcelainand mounted to rotate on the tube within the casing and to be carried with the rotary movement of said casing is a contact-carrying block 8, also consisting of insulating mateshoulder 12, which will prevent any possible short-circuiting between the tube 1 and the,

contact-plates. The surface of the block 8 adjacent to the block 7 is also provided with ratchet-teeth or cam-shaped surfaces 13, on which are arranged the spring-yielding contacts 14. These contacts 14 are connected one with the other by means of screws or the like passing through the block and engaging with notchesv 17, which receive pins 18, ex-

tended upward from the bottom ring 19, rigidly connected to the casing. The block 8 has a movement lengthwise of the tube 1, and as a means for forcing the block toward the block 7 I employ a spring 20, engaging at one end against the end wall of the casing and at the other end against a washer 21, of insulating material, which bears against the block.

In operation it will be noted in Fig. 1 that the spring-plates 14 are in contact with the plates 10, and therefore the circuit is closed. To turn off the circuit, the casing 4 is to be rotated, which will cause the contacts 14 to leave the contacts 10 and engage in the next series of depressions in'the block 7, when of course the current will be cut-out. To cut in the current, the casing is to beturned in the same direction as before to bring the contacts into engagement. When in such engagement, the current will pass through one contact 10, its engaging contact 14, to the ring 15, and thence through the other two contacts and out. The casing is prevented from a movement in the reverse direction by the ends of the spring-contacts coming in engagement with the shoulder portions of the ratcheted surfaces of the block 7.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In an electric cut-out, a standard or support, a contact-supporting block of insulating material rigidly attached to said standard or support, a contact-carrying block mounted to rotate on the standard or support, contactplates on said blocks, a casing surrounding the said blocks, and a connection between said casing and the rotary block, whereby the two parts are rotated together to make or break the circuit upon rotating the parts in one direction only, substantially as specified.

2. An electric cut-out comprising a support or standard, a collar connected to said support or standard, a casing mounted to rotate around said collar, the said collar forming a bearing for one end of the casing, a shoulder on the standard or support forming an abutment for the other end of the casing, a block of insulating material secured to the standard or support within the casing and having rat-cheted surfaces, contact-plates arranged on opposite ratcheted surfaces, a block of insulating material mounted to rotate with the casing around the standard, and electrically-connected spring-contacts carried by said last-named block, substantially as specifled.

3. An electric cut-out comprising a tubular support, a casing mounted to rotate on said support, a block of insulating material rigidly mounted on the support within the casing and having a ratchet shaped surface, contactplates arranged on opposite ratchet-surfaces, a block mounted to rotate on the support and having opposite cam-shaped surfaces, springcontacts arranged on said surfaces, a ringplate electrically connecting the spring-contacts, notches formed in the peripheryof the rotary block, and pins extended from the casing and engaging in said notches, substantially as specified.

4. Anelectriccut-outcomprisingasupport, a casing mounted to rotate on said support, a contact-supporting block arranged on the support Within the casing, contact-plates on said support, a contact-carrying block mounted to rotate on the support within the casing, electrically-connected spring-contacts carried by.

said last-named block, means for causing a movement of said last-named block with the casing, and a spring for moving the rotary block toward the fixed block, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES WAGNER.

Witnesses! RUDOLPH MEYER, JOSEPH WEILL. 

